A smart field is gathered for one of the two feature races in Sydney this weekend with Canterbury Stakes 2025 betting led by Grahame Begg‘s class mare Magic Time.

A first-up winner of the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at the track on February 15, five-year-old Hellbent mare Magic Time is tipped to keep the victories coming up in grade and class for the Group 1 $750,000 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) on Randwick Guineas Day.

With a strong record at the Randwick course (7:3-1-2), Magic Time presents as a strong hope for favourite backers to celebrate her second Group 1 success after her 2023 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes victory back in 2023.

Last start winners haver saluted in the Canterbury Stakes six times between 2011 – 2024 including Savatiano (2021) who was the last to do the Expressway Stakes / Canterbury Stakes double.

The money is now on Magic Time to be the next and become the fourth mare in six years to beat home the boys in the Canterbury Stakes results as she sits top of the odds at $4.60 through Ladbrokes.com.au drawn barrier six for jockey Jordan Childs.

Second favourite in the Canterbury Stakes betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au at a close $4.80 is Chris Waller‘s three-year-old Snitzel colt Switzerland.

Holler back in 2016 was the last three-year-old Canterbury Stakes winner and there is money for Switzerland in gate nine with master hoop James McDonald riding to be the next.

McDonald rode Holler for his success and also won the year prior on Cosmic Endeavour (2015).

He has plenty of experience on this gun youngster including partnering him to success in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes last November during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

J-Mac was also aboard for Switzerland’s resuming run where the up-and-comer finished fourth behind Skybird in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington.

Back in Sydney where he boasts a flawless three-from-three Randwick track record he is set to improve and appreciate getting up to the six furlongs fitter now and ready to take them on again.

It is a wide-open market with a host of other single figure fancies including the Ben, Will & JD Hayes trained Here To Shock who has been well backed in from $8 to $7 to make it a hat-trick.

The seven-year-old son of former Melbourne Cup winner Shocking has won four of his past five starts and is back down under after a successful raid across the Tasman winning the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) by a commanding four lengths at Te Rapa on February 8.

Also at $7 being kept safe in Canterbury Stakes betting despite a wide barrier 12 draw is Sunshine In Paris racing first-up for Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald.

The five-year-old daughter of Invader won first-up last campaign taking out Rosehill’s Group 2 Sheraco Stakes before a fifth in the $20 million The Everest.

She went on to win the Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m) down the famous Flemington ‘Straight Six’ two runs later and so is well credentialed to be competitive again this season.

Ceolwulf drawn the rails could prove the value at current Canterbury Stakes odds of $7.50 dropping back in distance for his rescheduled second-up run after he was withdrawn from last weekend’s Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes where he no doubt would have been competitive.

Fresh he was fourth in the Group 2 Apollo only 1.45 lengths beaten and that form was well and truly franked last Saturday with the same three Waller gallopers running the Group 1 trifecta in the race this Tavistock horse scratched from.

While it is never ideal to miss a run, trainer Joe Pride is confident the horse is back to his peak and this is an easier assignment than what he would have faced behind Via Sistina a week prior.

A two-time Group 1 winner over the mile here in the spring, Ceolwulf gets the rails run and there’s money for him to salute.

The Bjorn Baker trained Stefi Magnetica ($8.50), winner of Brisbane’s Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) last winter, completes the hopes under $10 also resuming.

At her latest she finished just over a length off Mr Brightside in the Group 1 Champions Mile (1600m) last November, form which has already held up well this autumn.

The 2025 Canterbury Stakes is set to run as Randwick Race 8 at 4:30pm (AEDT) on Saturday.

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